Astaxanthin Feeds Baked Goods with Powerful Antioxidants

Marine-based food supplements can improve human nutrition. They help modulate the glycemic response of the body and enhance nutritional characteristics of products. Astaxanthin is a naturally-occurring carotenoid found in algae, shrimp, lobster, crab and salmon and a powerful antioxidant with broad health implications and can be used as a nutritional ingredient in a wide range of baked goods. Unlike other antioxidants, such as beta carotene, zeaxanthin, vitamin E, C, D and selenium, astaxanthin never becomes pro-oxidant in the body, so they do not induce oxidative stress. 

Although in the EU, astaxanthin is currently only used as a dietary supplement, in America and Asia, it is utilized as a nutritional food ingredient. 

Lincoln University in New Zealand conducted a study about the effect of astaxanthin-rich microalgae “Haematococcus pluvialis” and wholemeal flours incorporation in improving the physical and functional properties of cookies. The research showed that in-vitro digestion of the cookies demonstrated significantly lower glucose release when more astaxanthin was added in the formulation. The results also demonstrated that the combination of astaxanthin with wholemeal flour significantly improves the antioxidant properties of the cookies. The inclusion of astaxanthin illustrates a potential synergy between microalgae and wholemeal flour of the model food, the researchers showed. As such, this combination can contribute to the intake of natural bioactive compounds in human diets for potential health benefits.

Karen Hecht, Ph.D., is scientific affairs manager at AstaReal Inc, a producer of astaxanthin extract oil, astaxanthin extract powder, and water-soluble astaxanthin extract. She answered our questions about the potential of using this ingredient in baked goods. 

• What are the benefits of using astaxanthin in baked goods? 

• • Leverage the clinically-proven health benefits of the most powerful antioxidant known in nature, astaxanthin.
  • Natural astaxanthin’s antioxidant capacity is 6,000x stronger than vitamin C. 
  • Natural astaxanthin is a nutrient found in our diet through seafood (ex. salmon and shrimp), but the supplement version comes from a vegetarian source – microalgae.
  • In addition to antioxidant benefits, astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory properties.
  • AstaReal® Astaxanthin is backed by more than 60 published human clinical studies. 

• What are the challenges of using astaxanthin in baked goods? 

Antioxidants require proper handling and packaging to maintain stability and benefits in the final product by limiting exposure to air and light.

• In what types of baked goods can be astaxanthin used? 

Bread, cookies, cakes, brownies, crackers, nutrient bars, and anything baked.

• What are the manufacturer’s and consumer’s requirements when it comes to traceability in this field? 

AstaReal® Astaxanthin is derived from microalgae cultivated in closed indoor photobioreactors. Traceability is relatively straightforward, and the source of natural astaxanthin can be traced to the individual tank in which it was grown in Moses Lake, WA in the USA or Gustavsberg, Sweden. 

• How will the market and consumer preferences evolve in the medium- to long-run? 
• • Focus on natural ingredients will increase as well as awareness of the existing relationship between food consumption and personal health.
  • Demand will grow not only for more nutritious food but also for food that provides additional health benefits using functional ingredients, including antioxidants like astaxanthin.
  • Using proprietary ingredients, backed by science, increases transparency. Consumers can see where ingredients come from, and the high standard to which ingredients are held.
  • Plant-based ingredients, like microalgae, are going mainstream. A 2018 Nielsen study found that plant-based product sales are growing across all categories.